Healing Blog

At the Kokin Healing Center, we're all about education. We love to empower our patients to learn how to take good care of their bodies; and we're always learning ourselves. In that spirit, the Healing Blog is a place for us to teach and to learn. We hope you enjoy these posts and share them with friends, family and colleagues.

3 Amazing Hot Stone Massage Health Benefits

Have you ever thought about getting a hot stone massage, but never got around to it?

If you haven't tried it yet, you're missing out on some great benefits! It can work wonders for both your body and your mind.

Read on to find out the three main benefits of hot stone massage.

Three Things Hot Stone Massage Does for You

Loosen Your Muscles

Hot stone massage uses techniques that penetrate deep into the muscles. This makes it great for relieving muscle soreness and stiffness of the joints.

Stiff muscles need to be massaged out, but if they're too tense to begin with, it can be hard to do. Using hot stones eases this process, making the massage more effective so you get more out of the session.

The heat from the stones relaxes your muscles before the therapist even begins working on them.

At the start of the massage, the stones are rested on certain trigger points on your back for a period of time. This helps to improve circulation by opening blood vessels. Poor circulation leads to muscle tension and lactic acid build up, and this rectifies that problem.

This means that when your therapist gets their hands on you, you'll already be nice and relaxed. Using the stones to perform the massage strokes allows them to work deeper into the muscle tissue than they could with their hands alone, too.

If your muscles are tense or inflamed, this kind of massage is great for you working out the knots. It's also beneficial for people who suffer from muscle spasms.

When you're done, you'll feel much more flexible and limber, and ready to take on your day.

Get Better Sleep

When you receive a massage, your brain releases a serotonin, a brain chemical which regulates sleeping patterns.

If you suffer from insomnia or simply have trouble getting a good night's sleep from time to time, a hot stone massage could do the trick.

You might even find yourself nodding off right there on the massage table!

Reduce Stress

Everyone knows that a good massage helps you relax, but there are other mental benefits, too.

The increase in your serotonin levels will reduce anxiety and improve mood. If you're feeling stressed, it's a great way to unwind. While it's no replacement for medical care for depression or anxiety, it can be a helpful addition to your self-care regimen.

The combination of a comforting warm feeling from the stones and the soothing massage is guaranteed to ease your mind and help whatever stress or worries you gave slip away.